Getting by in the UK

Tips and Tricks

Loss of luggage
Take a photo of your check-in luggage before you checkin
If you realise that your luggage is lost at the airport,
report it immediately to the lost luggage desk at
Glasgow Airport
Glasgow Airport Lost Luggage Guide
http://www.glasgowairportflightarrivals.co.uk/glasgow-airportINF-lost-luggage.php

Car rental requirement and advice

Singapore license is valid for 6 months in the UK, no need to apply for international license
You can book your car rental online, sometimes you can get a good deal when you book flight +
car together
Go with reputable vendors
Avis www.avis.co.uk
Budget www.budget.co.uk
Enterprise http://www.enterprise.com/car_rental/home.do
Hertz www.hertz.co.uk

Watch for Excess charges, which is the amount you are willing to pay before you can claim for
damage ie. Look out for hidden charges
Before you drive off, make sure you go over the car for pre-existing damage and scratches. You
should be given a sheet that shows existing damage, note any that are not recorded and inform
the vendor.

Driving in the UK
Flashing headlights = please go ahead
Be polite, everyone is polite
Signal
Undertaking is illegal
4 kinds of roads be careful, lots of speed cameras

Highway 70mph
A Road 60 mph
B Road 40 mph
City centres and villages 30mph

Absolute Speed limit = 10% + 2mph of stated speed limit

Dont Speed a number of Singaporeans have died in the UK,
Aus and NZ because they were unfamiliar with roads
When driving at night in countryside, high-beam ok. If you see
another car approaching, dip your headlights
LEARN HOW TO USE A ROUNDABOUT PROPERLY - https://
www.gov.uk/using-the-road-159-to-203/roundabouts-184-to-190

Travelling
Book rail tickets early and online you can mention that
you have a 16-25 railcard for a discount when booking
online if you intend to apply for it when you get to the
UK
www.nationalrail.co.uk can plan journeys as well
www.thetrainline.com

Going to Europe, book your Eurostar tickets early too

http://www.eurostar.com/

Some people use hostels, but AirBNB and

Homeaway.co.uk are generally superior if youve
moving in groups

Cooking, Grocery shopping on a budget

Supermarkets are best place to buy groceries
Supermarkets have a hierarchy like Singapore
Marks and Spencers Best for ready-meals (microwave),
best quality vegetables and fruit
Waitrose / Sainsburys = Cold Storage / NTUC Finest
Tesco / Lidl / Aldi = NTUC
Iceland / Farmfoods = Shop N Save

There is a Chinese supermarket (Chung Ying) 3 min

from Caledonian Court
https://plus.google.com/111323279376810850060/abou
t?hl=en

Cooking, Grocery shopping on a budget

Brits hate meat with bones = raw
meat with bones are cheaper, like
chicken wings
Value meat is the same thing as
Standard meat, only that portions
are inconsistent
Some fish is cheap, like Salmon
Milk is very, very cheap
Frozen is cheaper than fresh, but is
just as good
Ready-meals are microwave meals
that can be very convienient and top
quality (M&S, Sainsburys)

General Living Tips

You can get anything you need and more in Glasgow
supermarkets. But certain exotic things tend to be more
expensive like soya sauce, rice, etc
Buying in bulk then sharing saves money (bring some empty
bottles? I dunno)
Washing-up liquid: Fairy (goes a longer way)
Cheap Clothing: Primark
Cheap electronics: Argos.co.uk
Kitchen Towels: Bounty (re-washable)
Pharmacy Boots (3 for 2 offers) / Superdrug
Lots of discount cosmetics / toiletries stores around

Poundland is not always cheaper

Should we bring a laptop?

Not absolutely necessary, but can be useful
GSA work is group work, and some computers available
at Reid Building, a lot of your seniors did analogue work
Streaming TV when youre bored (wifi in Caledonian
court)

http://tvplayer.com/watch/
www.channel4.com
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer (but dont watch live TV)
www.itv.com for Football
http://www.channel5.com/

Claiming Tax after Shopping

When shopping in UK, ask if you can get a VAT receipt. This can
be done at some shops only, those with this sticker
You then need to fill in a form for every receipt you have (this
form is on the receipt)
Bring the form and receipt to the Airport before leaving the UK
to a VAT claim counter
You can choose to have the money credited to your card or take
in cash. Go with the card option, much much faster to process
The queues for VAT reclaim can be very long (not certain). If you
really want to do it, make sure you go to the airport in time

General Cards / Student Cards

16-25 Railcard: 30% off all rail journeys in the UK,
including Heathrow Express
http://www.16-25railcard.co.uk/
Bring a passport size photo + passport to the railway station
in the UK to apply

ISIC Card good for discounts around the UK, can get in
Singapore www.isic.com.sg/
When in London on the tube Get a prepaid Oyster card
(like ez-link card) do not buy single trip tickets for tube

General Safety/Caution Tips

Move in at least pairs, dont go walking in the
park at night by yourself
Be wary of people offering you small flowers
(form of begging)
Dont wear those waistpouches with
everything inside, easy to cut and run
Dont leave your bag half-open/unopened eg
pickpockets on Paris Metro gates
Dont leave your stuff lying around when you
go to cafes. This is not Singapore
If driving, never leave bags in the backseat.
Everything in the boot
Drunk people are not racist, theyre just
drunk.

Other General Tips from Seniors

Mobile : Buy from 3 30 quid unlimited data and roaming
data in Europe http://www.three.co.uk/
Save your 20p coins for washing machines / dryers
Dont confuse laundry detergent with fabric softener
Thick jackets are not necessary, but windbreakers/ parkas
are can also buy from Primark
Layer instead

Bed sheets, pillowcases, thin blanket supplied. 2 bath

towels supplied as well
Some flats may have 5 rooms only, meaning that you may
be moved around by the Caledonian Court admin
The rec room is good to hang out, but there are others
living in Caledonian court and they can be creepy at times
Explore Glasgow, dont hide in your room
Bring comfortable shoes, youll be walking a lot
Cafeteria at Reid Building serves good and cheap food

Tips for Living with Others

Be respectful of your classmates dietary and religious needs
Be flexible, its only 3 weeks and understand that different
people live differently
That said, just wash the dishes lah
General British Protocol

How are you You alright? Nice to meet you

Long winded = polite, being too direct = rude
Say please and thank you for everything, including McDonalds
Everyone says sorry for everything (except maybe in London)
If all else fails, just smile.

Final Random Tips I dont know

where to put
Ladies sanitary pads are different / larger in UK, you
may want to bring some spares
Water is hard use shower gel (Radox for the win)
and moisturize afterwards to prevent dry skin. Aqueous
cream is good for cheap and intensive moisturizer
GPs require appointments to be made in general
Dont bother bringing cereal, biscuits and chocolate. UK
ones are so much better.